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ITS TIME TO SHIT TALK MAHSELF

^This

/RantWarning

I think I might be a lil narcissistic!

And it’s funky because, if I take those “are yoo a narcissist” tests, I score very low – to the point of opposite of a narcy narc. (I swear I don’t try to change my answers.)

Still, after seeing weird things I get caught and hung up on (to the point that I can function a LOT less if I let myself – this would imply dysfunction which’d define disorderly psychology.)  After thinking I’m genuinely related to some people who’re pretty special in the head (I think if there’s a genetic basis to narc, I’ve got one) and trying to learn a lot from a dummy,

well,

I’ve just got a lot of data to analyze.  It’s like having access to webmd and trying to figure out if you have cancer, I guess.  Conclusion: I have organs, so I probly have cancer.

Saving graces have been that I’m usually very good at figuring out peoples moods motives and thoughts, comparatively.  (Totally something a narc wouldn’t comfortably assert.)   Saving graces have been that I’m usually really loyal and go above and beyond to help someone I think deserves it. Saving graces have been that I get really sensitive to things like, homeless people who seem . . .extremely disadvantaged. Makes me hurt.  Makes me wanna give a dollar so I feel better.  (I’m also not saying that’s a noble thing.)

But evidence to the contrary involves . . .the above.  Look at the amount of I.  I’m nothing whenever I’m not comfortable with the truths within my ego. Look at how interesting I think my thoughts are.  And just because I have a face that knows they are (check website name) it’s . . .a lil narcy.

The neurosis of being concerned if you’re narcissistic (which isn’t very narcissistic, but certainly some kinda neurotic) attacks a few things that are important to a grown person.  First to mind come self esteem and self containment.

Self esteem in that you realize maybe you should be more humble to not suck at life.  To realize faults and flaws you should work them instead of bringing them into spin zone.

Self containment in that you get anxy and want to prove you’re good to people by being good to people . . .which involves people. (and let’s be honest, lots of great things get done without moar people around.)

I hate egomaniacs. Maybe it’s cause I could easily be one and they resonate with the faults I’d hate to see myself get consumed by. Maybe it’s cause I’ve met a few and it’s sensitized me with red flags and alarms at certainly personality traits.  So I don’t wanna be one.

But the bottom line is whatcha gonna do with an inherent nature?  This is my silliness.  I hate social networking in that my approach is probly a lil different. It’s how I’m driven to take things.  Sites like these are spawns of that extra egotistical energy, and y’know, I like that these can be really constructive offshoots, but I also hate that this can be deconstructive, unhelpful bull.

This year I’m trying much harder to add positive influences into social systems.   I wanna never worry about “am I talking shit” to infinity (and that’s easier to do cause I don’t have people around goofing things up as much! Life’s still imperfect, but there’re fewer excuses to embrace, so I just have that much less of an excuse.)  I don’t wanna SUCK the good energy out of people’s focuses.  I wanna send my fucking query letters (which I got redone today, and don’t know why I’m typing here instead of sending.)

Well

the trigger to this rant is I did that thing again today where I was thinking too much about a person’s insult and did a cost-benefit analysis

and realized my life would be better without this suck

(and honestly not like the person sucks.  Actually, in many ways, suck. I just couldn’t deal with some of the bullshit they brought naively, because I just wasn’t mature enough.)

But look,

I had a friend who to me proved to be kind of a douche, and I just couldn’t take in their douche, in addition to all the other douche that’s in my life, and actually cut ’em out. I think it’s self explanatory to point out the benefits of cutting out someone who has a douchey affect on your existence and communication style.  So I did.

But I did it again and,

in the end, maybe I shouldn’t expend people.  I say this because every older aged narc I know dies confused, unsure, anxious, less accomplished, and alone.  I expect that before they die, have a focus of something they wish worked better.  And meanwhile, I want to imagine and wonder about saints of spirits who ENJOY what they’ve done with their day, every day, and while they might be a lil sad at life’s end (because that’s a limit) I like to imagine that they can be pleased with what was a very succesful human existence.

So maybe in the end I need to accept that some people are flawed, and not go cross-eyed at a real offense as much as silently weigh ’em out, and pursue the better positive energies in life.  I know that’s true actually.

My goal here is going to be to make said positive energies available for the douchetasm in question.  But I also really wanna distance myself from the situation.  That does mean taking into myself more. I just really ought to not be an asshole ’bout it.

I really HATE the idea that there’re probably people out there who are bound to mood swings where they wanna attack . . . something.  That no matter how far they make it in life they’ll wanna find dissatisfaction and attack something.   I get a little anxiety over the idea that man . . . I get triggered and annoyed about a couple things.   I know that these people who’re susceptible to life-suck, no matter how well they’re doing in life (and can’t contribute enough to forge real, decent, viable relationships) SHOULD be responsible enough for weighing their possible flaws into any circumstance and weighing if they really do kind of add strong elements of suck like a douchetasm.

So I guess and think I should do the same!

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My Cat Proves I’m Always Right

I have a colleague who I’d dare call friend. Let’s call him the jeev.  Cause he’s one of two twin brothers, both of whom have a name that end in -jeev.  So this’s like, anonymous.  Mmhm.

“Jeev” is a ovo-lacto-pescatarian. And heads up, this write nothing to do with diet – except that I think people who restrict themselves from eating meat are probably nicer or more sensitive on some level than those who don’t.  Or they have a different ethical tick.  What’s sure as hell, is they’re nicer than me.  I honestly love biting down on a big burger more than I do thinking than the cow that goes moo is cute.

Ok, so maybe that is the entire point of this entry:  that in the end I like being a bigger asshole than ethically nice people. We can all probly stop reading now.

Wait isn’t it kind of a give-away to label an ovo-lacto-pescatarian who’s one of two twins? Oops.

Well it’s a good thing I am  . . . inspired by this guy a bit??? – to the point that I have nothing but nice things to say about him. I like him.  I love him even!!!!   Like really, it’s refreshing to know that man, the world is a much better place cause guys like this Jeev exists.  But I also wanna pick on a difference, because, Jeev has a fashion. About life.  And it kind of gives him style or a personal flair. And I’m not sure I could ever do it.

(Sidenote: Something to appreciate about writers of old – how many of them probably put pen to paper in a colder, fucking house.)

Jeev is probably one of the nicer persons I’ve seen.  In attitude.  As a team player he is selfless, and I think that is both a personal choice and a cultural compulsion for him. And that’s just a great trait I wanna expect from people (and don’t – it’s just that Jeev is a breath of fresh air, he will help you with tasks that aren’t his at work, and takes responsibility to be an asset.) Nope, all people who’re smart won’t abuse guys like the Jeev’s willingness to help them do best in life, and won’t let it happen too.  That’s what I say.

But Jeev also takes his nice to another level.  Not only is it out of character for him to attack anyone’s achievements (quite the opposite, Jeev’ll actually praise their virtues instead) – he just manages to slip in a bunch of subtle, but good decisions that show Jeev is a mature person with his priorities straight and head on his shoulder.  The Jeev is a hardworking man where it makes your heart feel warm and fuzzy to know he’s also a cool dad.

I’ve been working with the Jeev for a little while now, to the point where his version of nice fascinates me a lil.  And I don’t think he’s just surface level nice at work.  I’ve been fascinated by other nice folks before and then over a long period of time learned that they have an (excusably) high level of inner douche that was just masked by outward niceness and isolation – their judgements were still very cynical and douchey. Y’know, like mine.

But here’s a thing I noticed, and it’s a thing that I think fuels the Jeev’s niceness.  It’s just a theory.  I’m not super sure.  But here’s my theory: optimism.

Long story short, but after my home got invaded by family and my cat got out of the house – just straight up missing – I went public about it at work.  Cause I wanted to be canvasing streets looking for the warm fuzzy mammal who, till-missing, has always been a loyal companion. The Jeev went so nice as to text in off time to ask if she’s come back yet, and when I said no, and as I was texting back my “yeah I think she’s gone” I got another text from the Jeev, which shows me his fingers were working with more certainty and faster than mine cause I was responding on the prompt, and it went something like: don’t worry Eric I’m sure she’s hidden some place warm and safe and will be back soon.

That interrupted my “well, it’s been 13 days man, she probably lost her kitty trail cause it’s been raining and cold (forcing her into hide n survive under something that doesn’t kill me mode) and for all I know she tried to run back to the last house she was at, and there’s no way in hell she could find her way through nyc and beyond that far. I don’t think so.”  <– I was gonna say something like that.

And the difference in this attitudes made me pause and say thanks.  Not because I believe he’s an expert on where my cat probably is, but because I appreciated the gesture.  He added no negative energy to this exchange and inquiry on a negative topic – if anything had to force myself to be the negative one to acknowledge reality: that my cat was probably not coming back.

More on this in a second: there’s a major point.

Yesterday, when I got news that someone who’s existence I preferred was in a car impact with enough velocity to tear up metal and spin tires in the wrong direction, I didn’t really want to be at work.  I said it on my face, and with my face. You could tell because I closed up real professional and quick-like with my current tasks (work was largely done anyway) and then marched over to people who keep track and told ’em I had an emergency and had to head home early and if I could make up the time tomorrow – today.  (See? I said it with my face.)

Here’s my reaction to finding out about car crash – because it’s 2015 so I get it in a text message at my desk in social feed form.
Text: “My car’s totalled I’m in the hospital and for all you know I’m like stephen hawking and only able to text now” (It went something like that.)
Me: “Uuh.”

And I guess I’m not the sort to make too many urgent dumbfounded “Uuh” noises (I’m really not. Uuh is usually a moment of pause before I figure out how hard I have to escalate things in terms of “well shit” and I usually know that right away.) The Jeev immediately went what’s wrong, so I just showed him the text before closing everything and leaving (me wanted details immediately, me no can’t be worried about doing that on company time) and he texted me about it

“Eric is your friend alright?

Me: “Car’s totalled she’s in hospital now I think she’s physically ok”

And then Jeev did it again – he followed the optimistic MO. “Don’t worry Eric I’m sure she will be fine rest up.” I guess maybe it showed I was tireder all day yesterday. (Cause I woke up at the same time I did today. Yey.)

Now the good advice in that is yes, rest up. Because it’s kind of weird to sit around in a negative rut franticking. Which is now a word. Don’t do that because at least that energy should be used for going into a situation where you can take action. But, realistically, you’re still primed for calculating the best option possible when you’re still evaluating the situation, which also means paying attention to it, and educating yourself on likelyhoods.

So (Yes this is the part where I show the difference between the optimistic MO and my way)
Here’s something about that optomistic MO: it concludes with judgement.  And while it’s sweet tasting, here’s what I wanted to say before.

When my cat was gone for 13 days, and my mind was all “walp Shit she’s probly gone pal.” And my heart was all like “Shaddap! I wanna look under every car and in every dark alley in brooklyn cause I’m sure she’s just cold and scared and waiting in the street for the stranger to find her to be me!”    My brain goes “No, sorry brah, but rlly. She’s prooobably gone.  Here’s a list of reasons.  I tough luhyoo. *rationalizes pie* Ooh, let’s also do every single last-ditch thing a sane person would do in closing out this situation.”  One of these involves going to the animal shelter and doing a check to see if they picked her up. Because, I just don’t think she’s gonna be under that next car, or walk home after 17 days.  (And she didn’t.)

And on my trip to the super packed brooklyn shelter with like 200 cats max, where I met this bugger.

Featured image

And to be honest, she’s awesome. She’s a sweetheart. So awesome I came back in a couple of days after determining she proobly wasn’t Felicia (so damn similar) and fill out some paperwork that let her leave her lil box and to THEN prove she’s the awesomest lap-cat of all time.  Who does this.

As far as I can tell, Felicia never came back. Never would’ve come back. As far as I could tell Felicia was dead and run-over in the street. And if I trusted good old optimism the first time, I would’ve stayed home and hopeful that she’d be like many other cats who didn’t get hit by cars or chased/frightened away away by local strays and walk back home, and all I’d have to do is be around for her. And I wouldn’t have found this dear old animal in the shelter who definitely needed a home and was as adorable.

Moreover, paying attention to a situation in the way that my style says it deserves let’s one read between the lines.  Cause a converse (not opposite) of optimism can be said to be cynicism.  (The opposite is obviously pessimism.) And cynicism demands that some nasty parts of reality that you’ve learned to expect are disproven before you expect they don’t happen.  Yes, cynicism can be demanding.  But there’s a reason people are cynics.

I won’t go into it now, or here, this rant is way too long. But yes obviously the Jeev is right. I should’ve gone to get some rest. She was fine. The point for here though is, I don’t have it in me to be as optimistic. I want to say that my preference is more for prefering action-based anticipation in a way that you’re left with options more than hope.  I know, that sounds pompous – but with the cat example it applies.  I like having a mind that doesn’t leave me with false hopes. I like being the authority on what I believe, rather than trusting one of the sweetest, most well meaning personalities you could find.  Because we don’t live in a world of fairies and twinkerbells that’ll be alive and simply exist if you believe hard enough.  I live in a city full of heavy traffic and people who need to  get places and drive like assholes. Yes, while I fully acknowledge and hope that my Felicia manipulated her way into some other family’s home (she’s got the instinct for it) the truth is she may not have, and I don’t know and that’s what I believe.  I believe I don’t know.

And that’s the difference between a good realist, a cynic, a pessimist, and an optimist.  The optimist believes in the best case scenario and allowing the situation to resolve while applying the smart mind (I do respect this! I really do – these are sweet souled people and Earth needs more of them. It’s just that Butters also falls into this category.) The pessimist expects and braces for the worst (but everyone wants them to shut up, and their negative expectations are the worst and draining if stubborn.) The cynic has learned to be disillusioned and is a home-grown pessimist. Let’s just leave it at that. (Also, buy novella Cynicism from amazon kindle by some asshole named Eric, it’s awesome.) And lastly, the realist understands that realistically, the world presents enough options that they simply don’t know what’s happening or what is the deal.

I like that because realistically, it presents the most options.  Realism ought to be another option not to mean “I’m secretly a pessimist” but to mean, realistically, there’s not always reason to look on the peachy side of expectations. Sometimes it leads to expectations that plug into the world better.

And also, kittens.

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Your face is looking good

Eh,

A solid friend got into a car accident today.  Doesn’t seem to be her fault.  I have a self absorbed note where I feel like her sounding board until some more convenient person comes by. I probably shouldn’t have come home and tried to make myself available.  That was dumb.  But I was also really really tired at work and couldn’t focus.  Kept having mental images of her hurt.  That was still dumb.

Suicidal buddy isn’t really suicidal probly (depression note was spot on.)  He moved to texas and shit.  Seems much happier.

Some kids were throwing ice on the street the other day. One thought he was hard and was challenging people to a fight.  Closest I came to throwing down with a teenager in a while. Present company was adament about pressing on.  I still don’t like chucked ice.  My mind seems to have developed tactics for if this happens again. Yey.

Beyond Earth is a refreshing game.

I meanwhile, don’t know if I lurv people.  Less so lately.  I took a D&D allignment test and for the first time I didn’t get a ‘Good’ allignment.  (I used to get Chaotic good even though I always thought neutral good was most attractive.  Then I used to consistently get Neutral good.)  This’s the first time in my life I’ve been assessed as Chaotic Neutral.  Am I crazy, or is 3rd?

Didn’t win the pot at work. (It’s a joke.)  Ah well.

I’ve noticed at work there’s something inhumanizing about people’s body language and walking aroundedness.  I wanna call some people out for lacking common curtesy, but, that’s kinda silly.

I’d have to say that there seem to be fewer and fewer valid ambitions.  I mean, I could make some money.  And then spend it.  How ordinary.  There was once a time where the quest for evolution and knowledge was a thing.  I find that I’m doing this sounding board consumerist lifestyle which’s . . . the last thing an overpopulated culture needs.  Even a good sounding sounding board.  Even with tasteful consumption.  But it’s the same old, the same old.  I’m running on two hours sleep now.  It’s easy to take the easy way out, count the bottom line at the end of today, and do it all tomorrow.

I hope that last part is just a tired me talking. I kinda want to want to hit things a little.

Edit:  I I I.  There seems to be a theme here.  Ah well.

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Depression is Depressing

Depression is depressing

I feel like a great friend might kill himself.

And I like to joke sometimes that I’ve only had two enemies in my life, and they’re both dead.

Cause it’s true. The first one was a bipolar racist asshole, I didn’t really realize we were enemies until a week before he died. The second wasn’t an enemy as much as a covert adversary who was also a thrill seeker who just drove his car into a tree. Alcohol may have been involved, but it’s hard to say – he always seemed to drive like that.

The first guy I understand well enough to know there were many things going on in his head and his life. I didn’t realize we had an adversarial relationship until it was so late, and he was doing some horrible things to some people I was a fan of at the time, mostly because I was picking up on stuff like alcoholic dad, ideology that’s . .. weird . . .and trying to figure out why those were his ideologies. And then I decided “fuck him! He should go die” and then he actually spent an entire afternoon trying to get access to Hunter school’s rooftop, and then flung himself off the 80 story building.

I’m not saying my impulse and his behavior were related.  I’m saying that’s fucked up.

Then dating a gal with constant migraine headaches, of a pretty amazing cause, taught me one thing:

In sum, I suck at dealing with people with depression. I wanna confront feelings which isn’t everybody’s way.  Especially not the depressed.

After this girl suffered pain for pretty much most of the day on a regular basis, left her job, and became a quarter-lifer with little confidence as to job marketability in today’s world, with a zany background of her own, she got hit with a severe bought of depression. She became withdrawn, she didn’t want to go outside, when she wasn’t playing world of warcraft she seemed like a completely different person, with little motivation, and little ability to express a passion for life that she didn’t feel.

And I sucked! It’s true. There’re a few reasons for it:

I was over-‘educated’ on psychology. Hey, I’m a smart psych major, but knowing about biological causes made me think I could fix things. “Oh, you just need” was an oft-mentioned attitude. I always believed that if you cover your healthy basics, you’re off to a good start. I believe doing better = a better start. And then, having your bases covered on every tier on maslow’s heiarchy of needs = well, why yoo sad?

But I couldn’t even make her feel safe from her own brain. So, hey if you get more sunshine you’re more easily able to produce serotonin . . .buuuuuut. . . . .

And from my own history, I’ve realized something weird about me:

I’m not immune to woes in life. I do handle them differently though, and I’m likely to get angry and hostile to unreasonable things which suck. I like to discuss and debate, that’s for sure. I consider myself a lil wiser for trying to construct arguments from smaller arguments rather than make impassioned big picture claims that overlook lots of crap, but when something’s unreasonable, I’m likely to stew, possibly isolate, or reach out to find superior value . . .REALLY persistently.

But that’s me. It’s just a way that I can be. I remember feeling saaaaad as hell, and at my rock bottom, I pet a cat, decided it was me and the cat against the world, and then I did stuff to build and build. It was pathetic, it was sad, but it’s also straight up honestly how I was and felt.

Eventually I proved myself wrong. Eventually I proved that it’s not me vs the world, but that I need to plug into the right niches, actualize my eccentricities to make them practical, AND work on my flaws, which are also very there to minimize plugging into the wrong things.

One of these flaws was trying to tell a depressed person how to not be depressed, rather than listening and offering helpful suggestions. Letting them know I AM available. TAKING MY AUDIENCE INTO ACCOUNT before shaping my words to them. Even the best of us get his by afflictions sometimes, and need what’s communicated to them to be more digestable. Even me . . . it takes energy . . . but if you actually care about your audience, wouldn’t you do that for them? Heck, if I can bother to spellcheck a manuscript, I can bother to consider my audience’s state of mind before disturbing it with my thoughts . . .

Two last notes:

Depressed people might lash out. Depressed people feel worse when you antagonize them for not seeing why they should get out of bed. Depressed people generally don’t respond to tough love very well (I think that’s when the first enemy killed himself – when his ex told him off . . . ) Depressed people have a shit-colored lens with which they see the world, and honestly, the best way to respond is with strength and positive regard, the strongest, warm fuzzy honest things you can offer – raw – and let them know that life is ok, and that they have virtues you dig them for.

Now, I’ve diagnosed one of my greatest friends with depression, and now he’s self diagnosed. And I’m not saying I’m a docta, I can just tell there’re sharp changes in his life where he’s making so many questionable decisions, there’s enough happening, there’re no positive responses to when he DOES reach out for what he wants, I started to wonder if he was genuinely getting depressed. And then he kind of confirmed it.

Last night was a really dramatic shift, from a discussion of him shitting on figs (The fruit, how they look) and me responding like I would to ANY normal good friend – with a lighthearted douchebaggy agreement – he proceeded to lash out real hard.

I made a mistake and lashed back. Not horribly, not too intensely, not maliciously, but to show hey buddy I didn’t realize we had expectations of perfection here . . .

Normally, this’d be all cool. But not lately, and I should have realized that. Not if I believe these feelings, that my buddy isn’t doing alright these days. There’s not a lot of insight in society that gives enough of a shit, to care enough, and get to know you enough to provide what’s best. I wanna be that guy.

So from a discussion of figs, he proceeded to try and friend-break-up with me or something. A lot of things are said in the moment, and I like to consider myself strong enough that I’ll get on by without anyone who’s a butt in my life, but, this was an address that needed to cool down.

So I said my piece, and then I said as nice and well meaning a thing as I honestly had to say, wished him the best, and cut the contact there so he can stew. I’m not sure if that’s what was best, and I’m concerned, but I am damn sure that that’s better than having an argument where we’re both critical of each other to the point where we both shit all over each others dignity.

(It’s funny, my main barb is that he’s despising his teenage self, and I think his teenage self was fucking awesome. I realized then I’m not talking to my best friend anymore. . . .and obviously the relationship ain;t the same – people do that after high school – but . . . .imagine hating yourself when it’s also real easy to see how you were a cool virtuous guy! Obviously your alignment has mutated, and, maybe I can’t relate to that so much . . . huge tragedy.)

Anyway, I took my shots. Some of his criticisms were valid, and what’s also interesting is – I’m aware of them. I wanna be the best guy I can be, so I consider why he said what he said and I don’t even fully disagree, and wanna better that. But this wasn’t a constructive conversation of how to be better/more likable, it was a shit on each other chat, and I cut that short after wishing the best.

Maybe that’s the best I can do. Fuck, at this stage in my life, maybe I’m not the most qualified person to inject good effective energy into other people’s lives, or at least not yet. But another thing about depressed people, they can bring you down. I don’t hold it against that girl who tough loved enemy #1 if that’s what she did. She might’ve said something cold in self-defense, and it’s not really her responsibility to coddle someone who’s teetering on the edge in such a way that they stay balance and stable. It’d just be NICE.

And I wanna be nice, but I don’t think I can do that. I do think the nicest thing I could do, is remove myself and provide space and good intentions until an opportunity to do better comes by. Which might not happen. I may very well be out this friend. I may very well receive the worst news possible about this guy (although it’s less than likely – and it’s far more likely he’ll turn into a wanderer until some adventure claims him)

But I dunno. Fak. I have to look at his recently most questionable decisions and think “fak, a spiral towards depression explains it all.” I think about levels of pride and ego, and how we fail to continue to hold ourselves accountable regarding what made us awesome in our youth (discovering new music, idealization, ACTUALLY EXPLORING PHILOSOPHIES TO LIVE BY, novelty) and think, fuck, we’re losing our magic. And some of us who do have these sensitivities, who aren’t psychopathic enough to pave a new path via steamroll, and are left to mold long enough in isolation . . .

fak . . .

I really wish my buddy the best. Even if he’s not my buddy these days, I think something is wrong with him and he’s growing less capable at growing anything but cynical. Things that were said from him lately . .. extremely cynical. I really wish he’d understand he’s got a spirit that DOES enrich the lives of pretty much everyone he influences (The smarter you are, the more you lurv him – fact) because personal value and esteem has got to be the greatest weapon against depression.

Finally, and I think my buddy is king on this one – but choice is choice. Depression is a condition, and thoughts are thoughts, many of which can’t be truly controlled or helped, but BEHAVIORS – that’s a choice. That is something I picked up from the psych degree. I am anti-Robbin Williams didn’t kill hisself depression did. Robin Williams totally killed himself. Heath Ledger too. The trick here, is making sure that the logical analysis consistently proves the dislogic between offing oneself. The next step, presuming the first is set in neuronal stone – is improve one’s own life. And finding the resources to do that.

Assholes like me may be douchebags, occasional, but we stand by for opportunities to be assets too. All the time.

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Fuck You Taylor Swift is Great

This isn’t even borne from a hatred of Kanye West.

It’s born from a love for this:

I work with people who’re smart and often ambitious.  That’s great. But this also leads to stuff getting under people’s skin.

And having a thing that’s got a fun beat and is pretty silly but also has a serious message of “honestly fuck it and enjoy the fact that you have the power to enjoy” is just . . .SAGISTIC ADVICE.  If you don’t like something do better, fix it, find better, and enjoy that you can enjoy good feels all the during!

Also! the track is just WAY better than the following:

So I think it’s funny if we’re in a culture of squawky, opinionated young people who love to hate on something cause it’s got the brand Taylor Swift on it, but thinks a song where you’re doing work if you shake your booty is ok. Shit like that is why anaconda exists.

And also, lol

Something about being untouchable

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Principle vs Opinion

You know, I’ve always been a little demanding.

It’s true. I remember having my first “Maybe we can’t be friends” in third grade cause he was agreeing with other third graders who were talking shit. I remember thinking it’s one thing if the shit being talked about was legitimate, but I remember thinking that it was just childish insults, and being like “Brah! How yoo gonna, gonna, LOYALTY BRAH.” And of course I bitched to my old man during one of those car rides and he was all “You seem to have expectations that others won’t always have. In this case you have a higher than normal expectation for loyalty.”

And I’m not saying I was right or wrong because in this case, that’s not the point. The fact that I was nutty enough, and my buddy cared enough to pass a back and forth “ANDRE DO YOO STILL WANT TO BE FWIENDS CIRCLE YES OR NO.” and he was all “yes.” and I was all “SOGOODWTF”

I get caught up on, bothered, and bugged by matters of principal more than specific happenings or reasons for them. I care more about understanding a person is driven by short-sighted character motivations rather than identifying what they are. I care more about understanding a person’s prime motivations – and these are the principles. If I wasn’t careful I’d probably be one of those assholes who’d get red in the face and be all *SPUTSPUT**PRINCPLESLES*

And I have to think about this because often, people find themselves stepping on mine without even realizing it.  When I’m bothered by a principle that lead to an issue and people just wanna tell me to feel good I do generally suppress a knee-jerk “DONT PATRONIZE ME YOU STUPID FUCK” before calmly deciding that the person advising me is an idiot/doesn’t care about the principle and should be regarded with respect to that. And that’s not always true. It is the case that I’m capable of being hyperfocused on something small and petty, and have to weigh my battles, and whether or not it’s the time or place or appropriate moment for a disposition.

But I think about it, and I see this sort of conflict happen all the time.  Unless dying, I refuse to drink Fiji water out of principle. (That shit is flown across half the globe on diesel fuel so duane reade can charge you a patronizing premium on top of a premium so you can feel like you’re a superior consumer for drinking retarded water that’s actually bad for the planet and I’m not even an environmentalist. P.S. Fuck you.) And I like to share mine with others – I’m not enforcing it, but I support my own principles by being open about them and thinking maybe one or two others will adopt.  Here’s what I got in return today though:
“But Fiji water is the best!”

Opinion.  It can be an extension of principle, but it’s usually the package that something so unprincipled and unthinking comes in, isn’t it? Isn’t that the difference between my cat’s response and a human’s deeper response? We can deduce an opinion by reflecting on principals, while a cat’ll sheerly get subjective appraisal from it’s senses.  That’s why you can’t convince a cat to be a vegetarian by appealing with ideology.  “Oh, don’t eat that mouse when you can eat murder-free dry food.”  The cat doesn’t care. In the cat’s opinion, killing mice is just the way it should be.

So you know, I feel like a better human for realizing deeper reasons for things like, “Patronizing structures that’re actually undermining viable economic conditions” (dear broke people, stop buying 300 dollar shoes 15 dollar drinks) rather than “I don’t like air jordans.”  But that’s just me.

And then you get into that ethics vs morality thing. And religious principle? And again, there’s that famous story of the preacher who started to realize his friend was a sinner (principled argument) and cut him off. Then he realized his preacher was a sinner and cut him off. Then he realized his whole church was full of sin and cut them off. Then his wife.  And yes, he totally died as a lonely psychopathic fuck in the woods. And how many well principled people can we think of who’re having real problems of disconnect?

Nah, I think there need to be principles about principled. Meta-principles. And we need to agree with them. Basic human rights becomes a thing here. Basic decency. Basic cutesy. Basic reciprocity. These are basic because they guide all interaction that follows. They preclude more pervasive, nasty principles like “Oppress others with your beliefs.”

I think that’s the the game I need to always remind myself to wire right. Because here’s the pro of principle as I see:

If we start being cat-thinkers, we may as well be half drunk and half stoned all the time. And actually we live in a huge planet where maybe that’s groovy!  But the problems comes into play when we start bowing to undermining principle – that which’ll step on the right of things to stay reasonable.  When we start being self-obsessed beasts, we’re most manipulable and capable of doing horrible things.  All you have to do is threaten one’s well-being and boom, they’ll do anything because they have no residual principle to fall back on.  Face it! This’s what gave socrates the courage to famously drink poison.  The wrong principles is what’ve let horrible military regimes do wrong things. The right principles (or at least the most outstanding ones) are where my balls in life come from. This’s how I know confidence in what I say, and principle is how I can detach from any situation where I may have pride and ego get in the way. Principle is how I can humble my actions and see how maybe I’ve been wrong and can be listen. Principle is what BYPASSes that self-concerned bestial programming, and what makes me better as I get older.  The righter principles stand out harder.

So, with that said I have some weird-ass principles. Sure.  I have some special experiences that’ve shaped my beliefs in certain ways that . . . I’m just not cool with certain forms of patronization.  (That isn’t to say that you can’t be yourself, just don’t encourage me to feel good about principled failings.) But sometimes . . . I see a response to a principled argument that’s outright twisted opinion!

And.  .. yeah, I don’t think I’m wrong to lose respect for that person as a person.  I start to see that you should treat them more like a really smart animal if they can’t get the reasoning behind an argument and follow through.  This may even be a little embittering, but I think it’s correct. That’s what some really smart adults are proving to me anyway . . . it makes for less contention, and let’s you move onto bigger and better things faster. Namely, your principles.

So yeah. I know how silly it sounds. I know I can be made out to be a fool sometimes and shove my own foot in my mouth, but every time I have an eloquent thought, it’s really just something coming from a place of principle and that’s why it’s articulated that way. I know I should be careful, I know I shouldn’t expect everyone’s belief systems and ethos to match mine . . .but the way I see it, refining, revising, evaluating, and considering one’s principles is ALWAYS the #1 path towards personal evolution. And weighing others, seeing where they come from, that’s where this leads to a power.

The point of this entire rant is, don’t be a stupid fuck who squabbles opinion. Or oppresses with opinion. Or is just loud about your opinion any time you have a chance to make one, and have no qualms with how unthinking and arbitrary it is because you have the power to be loud.  (Don’t these gaggles recognize that they lead to gossip because their own thinking is uninteresting and unstimulating? The following is a great paraphrase for all discussions / solicitations for validating feedback of opinion:  “Squawk. Squawk.”)

Anyway, this entire diatribe is a weak-ass attempt to expose that that lack of principle = human shortcoming. Any time there is contention or conflict, consider taking a step back and recognizing the principle – the driving cognition that frames all following attitudes, thoughts, beliefs, ideas and phrases – and debate (see: not argue) that.  That’s a discussion worth having about anything, from fucking bubble gum, to war regimes, to cosmic stars.

Anything else may be discussion that’s falling short of a good conversation and talk.

~The Best

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Youthful ignorance isn’t useful ignorance with a lisp, fuck

I might aggravate good thoughtful young people with my thoughtful aggravations.

But mine are the best and that’s why this page exists, so deal with it.

Till the day I die, I’ll get to know that I spent part of my 28th year of life living with and being pissed off by 18 year olds.

Grand 18 year olds.

Wonderful ones, really!

Who almost wholly pissed me off,

despite being great. All of them! (Cept one.)

Wonderful people who I’m sure none of whom will end up being a louse.

(Except one. But his mom will make sure he isn’t homeless so whatev)

I realized (way late) things younger people can make more evident than older people, and it’s a fallacy that’s coming out with a certain style of thinking.  And everyone’s guilty of it across all age groups – it’s just something the youth can make more evident than just about anyone else.

Picture this:

A bunch of folks are sitting in a room smoking a hookah, and one of them says “I think Godzilla is the most wonderful movie ever. The romantic interlude between the protagonist his female counterpart is the greatest love story ever depicted in film.”

If you disagree with this statement, it is self-evident as absurd. But if you try to understand this statement, you’ll probably at least try to put yourself in the speaker’s shoes.

Now if they’re the shoes of an old cool professor type, you might assume things that you don’t know, that they saw some godzilla that you haven’t seen that had a surprisingly good love story? Or that they’ve watched too many movies and it’s given them an interesting perspective.

But, if that speaker is a 14 year old kid, you just really can’t do that, and when you learn that they’re talking about the last godzilla that just came out on blue ray you might have to spew mental energy to go “hang on, hold yer horses. . . . have you seen every movie ever made?”

But that’s a waste of breath.

Obviously, that person didn’t.

Obviously, what you should garnish from their statement is that this movie has a surprisingly enjoyable love twist for them, and maybe you can dig that too. And that becomes reasonable, far less absurd than the haught taught to this person as an ideal way to go around presenting your enjoyment of movies.

And that’s a thing I’m worried about after sitting around and hearing how a buncha youths who’re more normal than me hang out, that this sort of haughtiness gets by more an more.
I can see it with man-children, too.

And when I bartended – something that’ll put you in the service of all sorts of man-children – I found that about a 3rd of the boys who were drinking, and who should’ve really been at home getting some epic video game experience on, is that they’ll work really hard to intellectualize about a beer. They sound like Sim characters more than people.  One will hold up their craft beer and go “HOOBA HOOBA, HOOBA HUA.” and the Beta males might go “ooba. Ooaahh . . . ”  And the first will have a sip and go, “. . .Hoobaaa! Hooba haa. Hooba hooba ha! :-)”

Because, the topic isn’t really beer. It’s who knows important enough shit to make important mouth sounds about beer.

I am ranting all this because, there is a style of thinking that goes with making these mouth sounds.

You can bluster and mew about . . . anything, even the greatest godzilla movie, but you shoot your credibility in the foot as soon as you try to oversell it.

And in line with that, PEOPLE, not just the youth (but we’ve got to be especially careful to train youth to do the opposite when encountering this for reasons I’ll maybe babble bout) – some people try to oversell their credibility to make these HOOBA HUAAAA 🙂 mouth sounds in anything.

It leaves no room to say the phrase “I don’t know” which is actually rather marvelous – because, it’s marveling that you haven’t learned something yet.

It doesn’t leave room for someone to BE the smart one to say “let me find that out tho” and use something like . . . a magical smartphone to access the vast wealth of human knowledge.

And the more “Hooba HUaaaaa!” you add to the room, the more you exponentially squelch that slow and deliberate approach to finding something out after a marveled “hm I don’t know.”

The blustering Hooba huaaa:-) leads to competitions to who can say the most ignorant thing the fastest and most assertively, and who can argue and defume that.  And I think it takes a lot of time to stop your thinking to point out stuff like “Defume isn’t a word man.”  I mean, during this, you can think of nothing else, which makes it a form of thought control to force someone to engage your babble and drivel.

^I mean at least with this shit, at least you can leave at any time.

(Knowing tho that ericisthebest.  Because that’s the site’s name.)

Anyway, this entry started off with a cheesing of the youth.  And what I really wanted to point out is that this tendency to HOOBA HUAAAAA 🙂 is more distinctive, and uglier on the youth because

1) The youth has the greatest capacity to learn. They can watch and breath more . . ..languagemoviesmusicidealsnumbersletterssymbols than anyone else. So when they’re wasting their breath and time stopping to announce what is “the greatest” anything it’s like, whoa, it’s more obvious that said young person would rather contain their self in a lil thought-box more than expand on it.

2) What limited context you have! It’s easy to assume a young person hasn’t watched a whole lotta movies or drank a whole lotta beers in our above examples. Maybe that’s why their conjecture comes across as more desperate.

But I’ll also end with pointing out : tired, old people do the same. They just do it more profoundly, and possibly less obviously if you treat the blusterer with authority. Cause especially when it comes to racial, ageist, or even many cultural arguments, that sort of preclusive thinking of “oh of course, hooba huaa! can kick in.” People who have to narrate absolute context instead of have that peaceful, slow, deliberate, painstaking, observational roundabout style, or at least who can engage that, they come in all shapes and sizes.

And today I just want to not be reminded of youth who might not do this extra hard. I feel like it’s rarer and rarer to meet a “hmm, let’s figure this out” person who’s slow and deliberate and under 35. Instead people want to activate sense words like “See” and “listen” and then dictate (limit) what you take in. Junk like elitedaily and thoughtcataglog expose this plainly, and that’s written by kids.

(Fookin thoughtful kids. More or less.)

Meanwhile, it’s a super power to appreciate what you don’t know and figure out how to know. And that’s made more beastly with smart phones and web access.

The real trick still comes about when using that power wisely and learning when to present that you know what you’re talking about, and that you know how to know what you’re talking about.

#Rambleoff

~The Best

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Fuck

titties

This page is just a placeholder. I have to organize this site to make it better than the current best. But I’ll also be adding lots of drivel and crap whenever I feel like it, cause as the best I get to decide that, and not you.

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